Something was up with Lilian. Something. 

The whole time she hung out with Ginny. I mean, sure, Ginny is fun, but she’s not that great. So I decided to ask Lilian about it, because things were getting too weird. 

So all I had to do was keep a nice, happy straight face, and then, BAM! What’s up Lilian?!

Easy, right?

Right…

So I waited. I waited, and waited, and waited for the perfect moment. Then, when Mom finally made Ginny go to bed I saw my chance.

We had our lights out too. We still had a school day tomorrow, but we were still whispering and giggling softly.

“Lilian,” I took a deep breath. “We – uh – we need to – uh -go to bed!” 

Lilian stared hard at me as Saige giggled. “What now. Spill it!”

“Why do you like my sister so much!” the words poured out of my mouth a little too harshly.

There was silence in the room. And it didn’t take me long to realize that Lilian was crying.

I gasped. “I’m so sorry!” 

“No,” Lilian sniffled. “It was about time I told you all.”

“Told us what?” Saige whispered cautiously.

Lilian sighed deeply. “It’s a long story. Are you sure?”

Saige and I nodded vigorously.

Lilian paused for a minute. I could tell this was hard for her. “It was three years ago, and I lived in New York. It was the first day of school, and I was excited to ride the bus to middle school for the first time.” 

“You have a sister?” Saige asked. “I have three brothers!”

“Shhh!” I shushed her. “Listen!”

Lilian continued. “Well, anyway. I remember that my sister was a little bit sad that I wasn’t going to walk to the elementary school with her and her friends, but she tried her best to hide it. I still remember her face when I was leaving the bus stop. She was so proud of me! I knew she was going to tell the whole school that I was in middle school! But during my second period, I was called to the principal’s office. When I entered the room, my nanny was there. And that was odd. She was trying not to show it. And then I was told that my sister and her three other friends had been abducted.” Lilian started sobbing.

Saige’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, Lilian, that is terrible!”

Lilian nodded tearfully. “But that’s not all. A few days later, the police found her red sundress that she had been wearing in a fire. They also found the kidnappers. They said that the girls were dead. Elaina Ann would’ve been Ginny’s age!”

I found myself crying. I had been so thoughtless!

“Everyone always told me it had been for a reason.” Lilian punched her pillow. “Was it?!”

Saige wiped her eyes.

“And that’s why I’m not a Christian anymore,” Lilian whispered. “My mom made me give it up.”

And that was when I hated it all. 

Why somehow? 

Why?